NEW YORK, March 3. /TASS/. The United States’ military operation against Iran will take place in several stages, NBC News reported, citing a source.

According to the source, Washington has carried out two phases of the operation so far: the first involved the use of Tomahawk missiles and precision-guided munitions to destroy the Islamic Republic’s air defenses and weaken its offensive potential. In the second phase, the US military deployed B-1 and B-2 strategic bombers and heavy aerial bombs to strike fortified targets in Iran, including missile silos and ballistic missile sites.

NBC said the military does not disclose the number of stages. The United States has not yet attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities, which may become the next target.

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran, striking major cities, including Tehran. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats coming from Tehran.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps retaliated with a sweeping attack on Israel. US targets in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia were also hit. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some other key Iranian figures were killed.